Wednesday, September 20, 2006

GIS SITES News - NOAA scanning water for hazards

NOAA scanning water for hazards

Agency will be updating maps for navigation

"The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has begun surveying and mapping marine hazards in Mississippi's waterways, an agency representative told the state's Commission on Marine Resources on Tuesday.

"We started last week in Mississippi to make accurate maps for navigation," Osborn said. "Right now, we are primarily working on navigation channels. Even small hazards can create a serious risk to commercial fishing and recreational boating."
NOAA contracted Louisiana's C&C Technologies for the project, which is using side scan sonar instruments to find submerged hazards.

Osborn said the equipment found 400 submerged objects in a 40-square-mile test area.
Project technicians are first completely scanning Biloxi's Back Bay. Afterwards, they will move on to St. Louis Bay and other bays. They will also scan near-shore waters, but will only go into deeper parts of the Sound when they are following large debris fields with the sonar." (...continue article)